Little Mouse
by Lark R. Starling
Summary: Aya is pregnant. And if that's not annoying enough, girls in Aya's condition keep going missing around town. What's a hormonal girl to do? Kurama x OC Sequel to "Mouse Byte" and "Honeymoon Mouse"
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except for Aya.

NOTE: This story is the sequel to two of my other stories, Mouse Byte and Honeymoon Mouse. If you have no read either of those, it is _highly _suggested you do before reading this.

* * *

"Ow, ow _ow_!" I snapped, attempting to heave myself up off the bed. A second later, Kurama's arms wrapped worriedly around me, keeping me sitting on the bed.

"Are you okay?" He nuzzled my neck. I snorted.

"As okay as I can get with thirty extra pounds hanging on my stomach." I didn't mean to sound so bitter, but the hormones and the pain made me have a much shorter temper. Kurama didn't deserve to be yelled at but…Well, in my defense, he _was_ the one who did this to me.

Kurama began to rub my back, concentrating on the spots he knew hurt the worst for me. Considering what physical pain I'd been through even since I had met Kurama - getting shot, stabbed, thrown about - this was nothing. But, since it was continuous aching, I was getting terribly annoyed.

"If I could take away your pain…" Kurama buried his face in my hair, breathing in the scent. I smiled, reaching my hand back to brush against his cheek.

"It'll be worth it. In two more months, we'll have a bouncing baby kit." I rubbed my hands over my insanely bloated belly. I couldn't wait for our little baby to be born.

"Well, I was personally hoping that he or she will look a bit more human than that…" Kurama chuckled, his warm breath still on my neck.

"Oh, come on. Wouldn't it be cute if it had furry little ears and a tail?" I giggled, trying to picture Yoko Kurama as a baby. He must've been so adorable!

"I would prefer to be able to send our kid to a human school, without people thinking she would belong better in a circus side show."

I sighed. Ah, Kurama, always the logical one. Of course.

"Well, maybe they'll inherit enough of my genes to be cute enough to charm the humans."

Kurama pulled me down to lie flat on the bed, climbing to where he was holding my arms down, predatorily gazing down at me. "Can't say I argue with the 'cute' part." He leaned down and bit my neck gently, no more than a nibble.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," I said, growling playfully.

"It doesn't hurt to try." He wrestled playfully with me for a few minutes, before I had to admit defeat. I didn't have enough stamina anymore to present even the tiniest challenge to Kurama. And, as he patted my cheek, chuckling, I knew he was enjoying it.

The front door downstairs banged open. "How's the resident hippo doing?" Yusuke yelled.

I growled, standing up (with some difficulty) and forming a small, weak ball of lightning in my hand. I waddled to the top of the stairs, where I could clearly see Yusuke. I chucked the ball at him, hitting him squarely in the head.

"Shut up, you jerk!" I snapped. Yusuke, his hair standing straight up, laughed.

"Still just as hormonal, I see." He said, with a smug smile. I held my hand up, more electricity already sparking in my open palm.

Kurama stepped up behind me, touching my shoulder lightly. He received a small shock of static electricity, but it wasn't enough to actually hurt him. I sighed, and dropped my hand.

Kurama helped me hobble down the stairs. No matter how many times I insisted that I could do these tasks myself, Kurama vowed just as firmly to help me through them. He took chivalry almost to a fault. I guess when he had promised to really take care of me when I was barefoot and pregnant, he wasn't joking.

Although I was happy to see Yusuke (and Kuwabara, as Yusuke had apparently dragged him along) I knew that for however long they stayed, I was going to somehow to get a torrent of fat jokes.

"So, I saw your missing person's report on the internet. You having any luck finding 'em?" Yusuke said, once he had settled himself down on our couch.

I was confused. "Finding who?"

"Your feet! I heard you haven't seen them for weeks!" Yusuke laughed at his own joke.

I tried my hardest to resist the urge to pummel him. Kuwabara smiled, ready with his own taunt. "Yeah! You know, Aya, you even make sumo wrestlers look anorexic! How do you even fit through the doors?"

"I'm just surprised you haven't broken your bed yet. If you rolled over on Kurama during the night, you'd suffocate him!"

"How did they find a floor material strong enough to support your weight?"

"I heard you got diagnosed with a flesh eating disorder, but you're so fat that the doctor gave you five years left to live!"

"ENOUGH!" I bellowed, standing up quicker than I believed possible. Kurama kept a hold of my wrist, a reminder that I shouldn't just kill the both of them and be done with it. Yusuke and Kuwabara both were bent over with hysterical laughter.

"If you don't be careful," Kurama warned, "you'll make her go into early labor."

I glared at my husband. "Not you too, Kurama!"

Kurama smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I couldn't help it. It's quite entertaining, actually…"

I sighed. This was going to be a long two months…

(*o*)( =^_^=)(*o*)

"Actually, we came here for a mission for Koenma." Yusuke said, once they had gotten tired of teasing me. "There's been some mysterious disappearances lately, and since all of the missing people have been those with spiritual awareness, Koenma suspects the disappearances are demon-related."

"Nice!" I said enthusiastically. "Things have been too quiet lately. I'm craving for a little action."

"Obviously, you got enough action, or else you wouldn't be in the condition you are right now," Yusuke retorted. I opened my mouth to reply, but…

"Normal pregnant women crave things like ice cream and pickles. Oh, you know what the most popular pregnancy craving is? For the woman's husband to be the one who's pregnant!" Kuwabara sniggered.

"_You're_ not going," Kurama said softly. I sighed. I knew this was coming.

"I can take care of myself, Kurama…" I whispered. Even now, I knew I wasn't going to win this one.

"Undoubtedly. And you have several scars to prove that, too," Kurama replied sarcastically. "I haven't been that good at protecting you in the past, and I want to make sure you never get hurt again. The baby, as well."

I sighed, giving up. "Fine. I'll try and find out any information I can to help. Through the internet, which is about as non-dangerous as you can get."

Kurama smiled. "I don't know…Some of those computer viruses look pretty shifty…"

I seriously could not wait until I had the baby. Then, I could finally pulverize them all.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this. Please be civil in your reviewing.

In other news, yay for pregnant jokes!

Lark


	2. Chapter 2

I sat in front of my laptop, growing irate with the lack of useful information I was getting. I had been searching for hours, yet I could find nothing on any demons in the area, or any of the missing persons. And that was what was strange. Koenma had given me a list of the names of the people, but even when I hacked into the National Government database I couldn't find any official documents on them. Not birth certificates, not dental records, nothing. It was as if they never even existed. Erasing official documents was hardly possible, even for me! There were backup files everywhere, and a system that would automatically repair the document files if it sensed something wrong with them. There was no way…

Leaning back in the chair, I held my hands over my stomach. Kurama, Yusuke, Kuwabara and Hiei were all scouring the city, trying to find out anything they could. Kurama called every hour, to see if I was okay. I was doing just find, but I wasn't too happy being left alone. I didn't dare say anything about it to Kurama, though. I didn't want him to worry, nor did I want to seem selfish.

A soft knock came from the door. I sighed, unwilling to get up. It was becoming a more and more difficult chore as the days went by. I waddled to the door, pausing a moment before opening it.

I was extremely surprised to see the beautiful Yukina standing just outside my door.

Yukina's sweet smile instantly brightened my mood. I invited her in, my mood brightened even more by the fancy gift basket she was carrying. She had probably made it herself. It was hard to believe Yukina was a demon. The way she acted, she could very well be mistaken for an angel.

"I came to keep you company," Yukina said, setting the gift basket down on our kitchen table. "Yusuke told Genkai about the missing people, and mentioned that you were being left alone."

I walked to my comfortable easy chair, settling myself down into it. Yukina sat on the loveseat right next to me. She perched on the edge of the cushion, folding her hands in her lap. I didn't really know what to do. There wasn't much I could do to be a good hostess in my condition.

"How are you, anyway?" Yukina asked in concern.

I sighed. "Well, miss, it's getting annoying that I can't even sit with my legs closed anymore. And that I can't stand up for thirty minutes without being completely exhausted. And that I'm tired all the time, but when I want to go to sleep, the baby won't stop kicking. And that I -" I broke off when Yukina started to laugh her beautiful, silvery laugh. I blushed, thinking she was laughing at me.

"What a joy that must be, to be pregnant."

I blinked in disbelief. After ranting off about my problems with being pregnant, she goes and says that? She was truly a unique girl.

"Someday you'll experience it for yourself, I'm sure." I knew how much Kuwabara liked Yukina, although she had yet to return his feelings. If Kuwabara hadn't spent half an hour teasing me about my condition before leaving, I might have felt sorry for him.

"Of course I will. When I turn one hundred, and have a daughter of my own."

I sighed. "That's not exactly what I meant, miss."

Yukina opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, I held up my hand to silence her. Something felt…Wrong.

Before I could act, the wall to the kitchen exploded. Yukina screamed. I leapt to my feet, knowing that I needed to protect her. I seized my laptop, letting it transform into my two _chisakatana_. I waited for something to come out of the falling dust…

Great, a demon. Just what I needed. I hadn't been in a fight for five months. That, and since I was now about thirty pounds heavier, this did not bode well for me.

I made sure Yukina was hidden behind me before I readied my weapons. I was scared, I wasn't going to deny it.

The demon moved faster than I thought possible for someone of his size. But I should have known better than to think that large size meant demons moved slowly. I was knocked back. Terror seized me instantly, as I thought about the damage that could do to the baby.

I was weak, weaker than I thought I had ever been, even as a human. I hadn't been hit that hard, yet I could already feel myself losing consciousness. Yukina's screams were becoming dimmer and dimmer as I fought to stay awake…I slumped to the floor, finally giving in to the creeping darkness.

(*o*)( =^_^=)(*o*)

I shot awake, jolting up in a bed. Sitting up fast was hampered by the massive bloated lump on my stomach. I instantly rubbed my belly, feeling for a kick that told me the child was okay. I felt a sharp jab to my kidney, and sighed in relief. It seemed okay.

I recognized where I was. Kurama's mother's house.

"Aya…"

I jumped in surprise, looking over to see Kurama leaning on the bed. I smiled at him, my relief making me giddy. I was so happy to see him. But…He didn't exactly look happy to see me. He looked extremely depressed.

I reached out my hand to touch his cheek. "What's wrong?" Suddenly, I was scared for Yukina. What had happened to her?

Kurama turned away from my fingers, not even looking me in the eyes. When he spoke, his voice was thick. "I…Shouldn't have left you alone. How could I be this _stupid_?!"

Tears sprang in my eyes as I realized he was blaming himself for this attack.

"No!" I said instantly. "Don't. It's not your fault!" I didn't know what else to say. Kurama wasn't the type to easily forgive himself for something like this. I reached for his hand, pulling it to my stomach. I held it there until we both felt the baby give a good strong kick.

"See? It's okay. And I'm okay. I've suffered worse. You know that. Please, Kurama…" Gosh darn it. These hormones were making me feel like such a crybaby. I decided to change the topic before I exploded into an all-out bawling fit. "So, how's Yukina? And how'd your mission go?"

Kurama sighed, apparently not appreciating the change of topic. "Yukina is fine. The demon didn't even bother with her. It left when we came back. And the mission? Uneventful. It seems bringing you along would have been the right choice after all."

Something clicked in my mind. "Hey!" I said, sitting up so suddenly that I got slightly dizzy. "Get me my laptop, sir. I have an idea."


	3. Chapter 3

My hunch was right. About half an hour later, the four boys, Yukina and I were sitting in the living room. I was typing away furiously on my laptop, trying a new search. Finally, I had gathered all the information I needed.

"There's a reason that there are no records of these people in any database. They've been _erased_ by the government!" I cried triumphantly.

"Erased by the government? Why would the government erase people?" Yusuke asked.

"There is only one reason. See, the government knows a lot more about demons and the supernatural than we thought. I suppose they might have a few demons or spirits working for them. I've hacked a few files about demons from the government before, but I always thought those types of things were code words. But they weren't." I was getting more and more excited as I began to unravel the mystery. I tapped the list of the names Koenma had given me.

"All of these missing people are female. Not only that, but they all disappeared more than a year ago. When they came back, I assume the government erased their official documents." I rubbed my stomach, about to unveil the next conspiracy, but Yusuke interrupted.

"You still haven't told us why the government erased them."

I sighed, a little irked at being interrupted. "_Because_, the government erases official documents of people who get demonified - that is, transformed into demons, sir. Just like I was. I've been searching for a while, but I can't find any of _my_ documents from before I became a demon. None. I've been erased too, and yet here I am. Not only that, but…I've been researching this eccentric hospital in Kyoto. Shi-Odori Hospital, just outside of Kyoto."

"I've heard of that hospital…" Kurama said.

"The word is that it specifically treats demons, and other supernatural beings." Hiei said shortly.

Taking in this new information, the puzzle was making even more sense. "Well…Shi-Odori has records of all these missing girls. Recent records, all just before the girls disappeared again. But not using the names they had when they were human. And that's not all. All of these girls are _pregnant_." I clicked out of the hospital's database with a flourish, waiting for the information to sink in.

All five of the others looked shocked.

"So then…" Kurama said, looking down at the floor.

"Exactly. Even if you had brought me along with you, I would have been attacked. These demons are specifically seeking out pregnant demons who used to be human. And I'm apparently next on their list."

"Tuh-riffic." Kuwabara moaned.

Kurama reached over and took my hand off of the keyboard. He kissed the back gently, before laying my palm against his cheek. "That means I am _not_ letting you out of my sight again until we kill these demons."

Secretly, I smiled to myself. Even though it meant I could be in constant danger, that prospect made me happy.

(*o*)( =^_^=)(*o*)

"Where's Hiei?" I asked Kurama as I sat down to a breakfast he had made. Hiei usually joined us for these meals. I guess Kurama's cooking beat scrounging for food on his own, or worse, stealing it.

"With Yusuke and Kuwabara, looking for this gang of demons, or whatever it is." He replied casually, as if he was commenting on the weather.

I was surprised. I hadn't known the boys were planning on going on another search today. When Kurama had said I wasn't going to be out of his sight, I had thought that meant he would take me with him when they went on these missions.

"Aren't they going to need you?" I tried to mask my surprise (and just a little bit of disappointment).

"No." Kurama was still acting perfectly calm. Now that I looked closer, he was actually quite tense, wary of the next attack that could be coming from anywhere. "They brought along Genkai this time."

I thought about the sarcastic old master. "She's getting along in her years, though…"

Kurama closed his eyes sadly. "Yes, I know. She keeps talking about this being her last demon hunt and all. I'm…Worried."

I didn't say anything else, digging into my food instead. I barely knew Genkai, but Kurama and the others were rather close to her. When she actually died…I shook my head to clear my mind of my thoughts. I thought of a way to change the subject.

"Ow!" I cried suddenly, clutching at my stomach with a look of pain. I grabbed the edge of the table with my other hand.

Kurama immediately rushed to my side. I began to pant softly, trying to make this as realistic as possible.

"What's wrong, Aya?" The concern in his voice made me hopeful that my fake pain wiped all thoughts of Genkai from his mind. But…It didn't have to be so fake, after all…

"My rib…The baby kicked, and I think he broke it…" I gritted my teeth together.

And I wasn't lying. The baby _had_ broken one of my ribs two nights ago. But it hadn't hurt too terribly much, so I hadn't even bothered raising an alarm about it.

"Do you need to go to the doctor?" Kurama's emerald eyes flashed, momentarily entrancing me.

"No, I-I think I'm fine." I smiled, resisting the urge to give him a kiss. "See? The pain's already gone."

Kurama grinned wickedly, taking my wrist and pulling me up. "I don't care. You're going."

"Kuramaaaaa!" I whined.

(*o*)( =^_^=)(*o*)

"Does this hurt?" The doctor asked, while poking an area right above the huge bulge on my stomach.

"_Ow_! Of course it does!" I snapped. Kurama patted my hand in an effort to calm me down. The doctor gave me a patronizing smile. The doctor touched his hand to my belly. I sent out a spark of lightning through my body. The static electricity crackled as the doctor jumped back with a cry of pain. Kurama glared at me. I gave him an innocent smile (at least as innocent as I was capable of). The doctor gave us a sheepish smile, and left, holding his hand (probably because it still stung). When Kurama wasn't looking, I smiled in self-satisfaction. Take that, you sexist human doctor…

Kurama wrapped his arms around my shoulders, biting my neck in punishment.

"_That_ wasn't very nice, Aya." He chided.

"I'm pregnant and hormonal. So sue me. "

* * *

I have discovered that I am not very good at humor in stories. So I'm trying my hardest. If anyone just wants to tell me to stop trying, please do so. But nicely.


	4. Chapter 4

We were met with a bit of a surprise when we got home from the hospital. Hiei was leaning against the door of the house, waiting for us to return.

"_There_ you are." Hiei snapped. He stood straight up, and walked impatiently towards us. "You wouldn't answer your phone, Kurama."

I stifled a laugh. He would never admit it, but he was worried about us. I gave him a sweet smile, and his angry expression softened a bit.

"I'm sorry, we were at the hospital. I had to turn off my cell phone there." Kurama explained patiently.

Hiei's crimson eyes widened in shock. "Hospital? Why?" He stared straight at me. "Are you…?"

"I'm fine," I assured him. "I wouldn't have even gone, if not for _him_." I glared at Kurama playfully. It was sad that this had only started out as a topic change.

Kurama shrugged, giving me a small grin. "The baby's broken a couple of her ribs. We wanted to get her checked out, to make sure she's okay."

"_Fractured_. Just fractured." I argued. "Not as serious. No danger of ruptured organs, or anything, sir."

Hiei still looked doubtful. "Well…Alright. Just take it easy."

I rolled my eyes. As if Kurama would let me do anything but that.

"Are you _sure_ it was the baby, and not the demon that broke your ribs?" Hiei asked suspiciously.

"Quite positive. I don't feel any damage from the attack, other than bruises. They took sonograms, to check my organs, too." Hiei still wasn't convinced. "Please," I sighed, brushing his cheek, "don't worry so much."

Hiei turned away from me, probably to hide his concern. "Who said I was worried? I just want you to be careful."

I smiled at him, even though he didn't see. Kurama escorted me into the house, and a moment later, Hiei followed us.

(*o*)( =^_^=)(*o*)

"Hey," I asked, after we had gotten settled in the living room with cups of tea, "weren't you supposed to be on a mission with Yusuke, Genkai, and Kuwabara?"

Hiei scoffed. "They're just trying to find out information, right now. A follow-up on that hospital on the edge of town. They don't need me."

"Meaning, Aya needed you more instead?" Kurama teased.

"Hn." Hiei replied, just the tad bit annoyed. I swallowed a giggle.

"Actually," Hiei said, irritation still in his voice as he changed the subject, "I was hoping that you could help us find the missing girls. With internet or whatever."

I smiled. "Oh, Hiei, you do care about other people!" I cried in fake surprise. It felt good to be on the opposite end of the joke.

He glared angrily at me. "_No I don't_," he growled. "Koenma wanted me to ask you to do that. Stop ruining my image."

This time, both Kurama and I burst out into laughter. Hiei didn't seem to get any angrier, so I assumed he had purposefully meant that as humor. After a minute of hysterical laughing, I wiped my eyes, clutching my stomach.

"Oh, ouch…" I said, still giggling a little. "Laughing _hurts_."

"Well, if it kills you, at least we'll know you died happy." Hiei retorted.

I glared at him. "I'm so glad you're showing such concern for me, sir." I snapped back. Kurama hastily raised his hands between us.

"Now now," He said, trying to calm us down. I shot Hiei a playful grin, fully aware that I had successfully won the last word. His blood red eyes held the promise of a certain hell for me to come in the future, courtesy of him. I began to concoct a method of faking a ruptured kidney…

Kurama set his hand softly on my stomach, taking me away from my malevolent plotting. His expression as he smiled as my bulging belly was so gentle, and full of love. Oh, he was going to be a _great_ father!

I placed my hand over his and smiled at him. I felt myself drowning in his beautiful green eyes…I heard Hiei scoff, and walk towards the direction of the bedrooms. Apparently we were getting a little too mushy for his comfort level. Just fine with me…

Taking advantage of Hiei's absence, Kurama leaned over to kiss my neck. I giggled as his lips brushed over a ticklish spot before I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"You're a liar," Kurama whispered.

I blinked, and my grip on his neck loosened. Those weren't exactly the sweet nothings I liked to have whispered in my ear.

"Beg pardon, sir?" I asked, as Kurama sat straight up, chuckling.

"You were lying about the baby breaking your ribs at breakfast. Sure, he did give you broken ribs, but not then…" Kurama glanced up at me through amused eyes.

I pouted. "How long did you know?" I complained.

"I _suspected_ when you first cried out. You've endured far more pain that a broken rib without uttering a sound. And, just now, if you were truly in the pain of a newly broken rib, I couldn't seduce you."

He bent down to nibble at my neck, and I pushed him away in annoyance. "In my defense, I'm pregnant. And hormonal."

Kurama chuckled. "Oh, I know that. _Very_ well." I nudged him in the side.

"Be nice. Or I might go into labor seven weeks early."

Kurama bit my ear playfully. "Not likely. You're too stubborn for that."

I scoffed. "Some husband _you_ are."

Kurama laughed. "You know I love you."

I smiled back. "Sometimes I wonder…"

* * *

Omg, I love all you guys! You are all so kind and supportive, and the reviews you give make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Much thanks!

♥ Lark ♥


	5. Chapter 5

Days went by without incident. When Yusuke dropped by the house to check up on Kurama and I, he often complained about how bored he was getting. I would just roll my eyes. I'd like to see _him_ get pregnant and be confined to the house. See how much he had to complain about then…

I felt sorry for Yukina, though. Hiei had forbid her from coming anywhere near me until this demonic threat was taken care of. Yukina's innocence made me laugh. How could she not know Hiei was her brother, especially when he was so protective of her?

Speaking of protection…

"Got any threes?" Kurama asked Hiei. Hiei looked at his cards for a moment before shaking his head. Although Hiei may seem like the type to cheat at cards, I don't think he knew enough about the game to do so. My thought was proved right when his turn came up.

"Got any fives?" He asked me. I reluctantly handed my only five over to him. Since we were playing for doubles, I expected him to immediately lay down a pair of fives. When he didn't, I cleared my throat.

"Um…Didn't that five I gave you give you a pair of fives?" I asked.

Hiei looked up at me innocently. "No. I just didn't have a five yet, and I wanted one."

I smacked my palm against my forehead as the phone started to ring. Kurama, chuckling, got up to answer it. Hiei attempted to look the hand of cards Kurama had set down, but I stopped him. Kurama came back a second later.

"Yusuke's found some stuff, and he wants my help." He hesitated. "Hiei…Could you please protect Aya until I get back?"

Hiei nodded. Kurama bent down to me and gave me a kiss. "Stay safe," he whispered.

"Naturally," I replied, without opening my eyes. Then, before I was ready, Kurama had swept out the door.

I turned back to Hiei, not wanting him to get bored. "So…Want to play a video game?"

Hiei blinked. "Video game?"

(*o*)( =^_^=)(*o*)

It took a while, but I taught Hiei how to play one of my favorite video games. Before long, he was fighting his way through the battlefields, mercilessly slaughtering any pixilated enemy his character came across. Although he didn't get the point of the finishing conditions, he seemed to be having fun, and that was all that mattered.

"Hiei, Hiei, you can't kill him! He's one of our commanding officers!" I said, trying to calm Hiei down.

"Why not? I want to!" He retorted.

"Unfortunately, that's not how the game works, sir." I still didn't think that Hiei understood, as he spent the rest of that stage trying desperately to defeat one of our own allies.

"Whoa!" Hiei exclaimed once we reached the next level. "It's a castle."

"Yes. These stages are a lot more fun, I think." Besides, he'd have to follow me very closely unless he wanted to get lost.

We had just started the stage when Hiei froze. He dropped his controller, and stood straight up. I immediately paused the game, grabbed my laptop, and got up to follow him. I stayed as close as possible as he wandered outside the house. He unsheathed his sword. I kept my laptop close to me. Trickles of fear trailed down my spine. Not this again.

It _was_ a demon. I think it was the one that had attacked Yukina and I a while ago. Terror seized me, and froze me to the spot.

Hiei turned back to me. "Aya, get back! Run!" His moment of distraction made him easy prey for the demon. With a smack of the demon's enormous hand, Hiei went flying. I screamed, terrified for the life of my best friend. But what could I do? One pregnant woman, even if I was a demon, could do nothing against this monster. Except scream.

Hiei valiantly got to his feet again. He held up his sword, his glare so fierce that most demons would tremble in fear. But not this one. Either he was too dumb…Or too strong.

I watched in horror as Hiei was repeated batted around. I could smell his blood as it dripped out of his wounds. He was staggering now, but still fighting. Or trying to. I was scared out of my wits.

"Kurama!" I shrieked. "Yusuke! Kuwabara! Somebody help, please!"

But no answer came to my cries for help. The demon threw Hiei to the ground. Hiei didn't get up. He didn't even move.

I saw red. I screamed again, my voice filled with fury this time, instead of fear. I heard electricity crackling up and down my arms.

As my power level rose, the demon's eyes widened in shock. He retreated a step or two. Good. Because I was bluffing.

I stopped screaming, but continued to let my power level rise. Electricity crept through the ground, shorting any electric wires or poles it hit. I must admit, amass the sparks and demonic aura, I must've looked a fright. The demon took off running, tearing down our neighbors' fence along the way.

I fell to my knees, gasping from the exhaustion of exerting energy I didn't have. I only stayed there a moment before scrambling to my feet and rushing to the fallen Hiei.

"Come on, come on…" I rolled him onto his back, trying my hardest not to injure him further. My hands were already covered in his blood…

He still had a pulse. Granted it was slow and weak, but it was there.

I could hear sirens in the distance, but approaching rapidly. It seems like one of our neighbors had called the police. I clutched Hiei as tightly against me as I could, and waited.

(*o*)( =^_^=)(*o*)

The ambulance ride to the hospital was pure hell. I held Hiei's unresponsive hand while the paramedics shoved oxygen tubes up his nose and checked his pulse. Worried that they would think him dead, I gave him small jolts of electricity to make his heart beat like a normal human's. I prayed this wouldn't have any negative consequences.

When we got to the hospital, nurses and doctors bustled around, trying to save Hiei's life. They shoved me out of the door, but while they weren't looking, I snuck in and screwed with the machines enough so that they would (incorrectly) read normal human vitals.

In the waiting room, I prayed silently to myself, begging Hiei to pull through. The nurses finally allowed me back into the room.

My heart ached to see Hiei covered in bandages, and hooked to the machines. The doctors had removed his headband, but his jagan eye luckily remained closed. I brushed a stray piece of hair from his forehead, and sat in a chair beside him, holding his hand once again.

I had left a note for Kurama at the house saying we were at the hospital.

"Please, Kurama," I pleaded quietly, "Get here soon. I can't handle this by myself!"

* * *

Meow.

Okay, so yay. Chapter five. And I will give anyone who can guess the video game Hiei and Aya are playing a virtual cookie.

Hint: PS2 game...


	6. Chapter 6

I was still stroking the back of Hiei's hand when I heard pounding footsteps echoing through the hospital halls. Hospital employees yelled for the runners to slow down. Soon, the door to Hiei's room was thrown open, and Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara skidded into the room. The relief made me feel weak. I shot to my feet, and threw myself into Kurama's arms, sobbing.

"Aya, what happened?" He asked quietly.

"A demon attacked!" I cried into his chest. "The same one that attacked Yukina and I! Hiei tried, but the demon was too strong!"

"Is he going to be okay?" Yusuke and Kuwabara walked past us, and to Hiei's bedside. I doubt they had ever seen Hiei looking so fragile either.

"The doctors seem to think so. But that's probably only because I screwed with the machines enough so that they wouldn't think he had died."

"He'll pull through," Kuwabara said confidently. "This shrimp is too stubborn to go down that easily."

"Who…you calling…a…stubborn shrimp?" Hiei hissed weakly from the bed.

"Hiei!" I shrieked, detangling myself from Kurama at once. Hiei was opening his red eyes, staring around the bright room.

"Where…am…I?" He whispered.

"The hospital, Hiei," Kurama said, joining me and resting a hand on my back.

Hiei's eyes shot wide open in horror. "The _human_ hospital?! No! Get me…out of here!" he tried to struggle out of the bed, but Yusuke and Kuwabara were easily able to subdue him.

"We will," Kurama promised, "as soon as the doctors say you can go. Now try and keep your temperature down and your heart rate up."

Hiei glared at Kurama. "Those things are a lot harder…to control than you seem to think." He snapped. I breathed a sigh of relief. Hiei was acting like his old, rude, pissed-off self. He was going to be okay. I knew it.

I reached out for his hand and took it in my own. His crimson eyes widened once again in surprise.

"Thank you," I whispered quietly, "for protecting me."

Hiei gently pulled his hand out of mine, and turned away from me. "It was nothing." I smiled.

***********************

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama and I stayed by Hiei's side almost constantly, as long as the hospital let us. Yusuke and Kuwabara almost turned it into a party, which was mildly inappropriate considering where we were. And Hiei was getting more and more irritated as the days passed. But, as Kurama said, a little annoyance was good for him. I personally was pleased, because Hiei's condition gave Yusuke and Kuwabara an outlet for their jokes. Or at least that's what I thought.

"With the whale and the invalid, we're going to be big trouble if we do get attacked…" Yusuke absentmindedly stated.

I growled angrily. "Don't make me go medieval on your ass!"

Yusuke stared at me. "What the hell does that mean?"

"I'm not sure," I replied honestly. "But it sounds like a damn fine threat to me!"

"Don't call Aya a whale," Kurama said, even though he sounded like he was suppressing a laugh.

"Oh!" Kuwabara said. "I've got a good one. How do you turn a fox into a whale?" He waited a moment for someone to offer a reply, but no one did. He continued earnestly. "Marry her!"

I snarled viciously at him, which made him laugh more.

*******************

That night, when visiting hours were over, I sat on the roof of the building across the street from the hospital, keeping watch over Hiei as he slept. Yes, I know that sounds slightly stalker-ish. But I was thinking. He had only gotten hurt because I was there. As far as we knew, the demons didn't even harm the pregnant girls. But, Hiei had gotten seriously injured trying to protect me. It wasn't fair. What's worse is that I knew there was no way this demon gang was giving up. I had to figure out what this had to do with Shi-Odori Hospital. But…There wasn't any way the guys were going to let me go by myself. I had to sneak away somehow. But, the instant I went outside of the range of Hiei's jagan eye, he would send out an alert to everyone else. Besides that, everyone kept such a close eye on me, they would know anyways.

I felt like I was a disgrace to my demonic race. Demons should be able to be more creative and diabolical. Maybe if I…

"Hey, what're you doing up here? Trying to imitate the Goodyear blimp?"

I gritted my teeth. "What do you want, Yusuke?"

The spirit detective came and plopped himself down right beside me. "Aw, don't be mad, Aya…I'm just kidding."

I sighed. I knew very well about Yusuke's jokes. A few weeks ago when Atsuko Urameshi cooked all of us dinner, she tried counting how many times she remembered Yusuke flipping Keiko's skirt when he was younger. As far as I knew, she was still counting. I guess it was part of Yusuke's (and Kuwabara's) 'charm' (for lack of a better word).

"I'm not mad, Yusuke." It was difficult to stay angry at idiots. Especially since these particular ones were more precious to me than my own life.

"Really?" Yusuke sounded surprised. I smirked.

"Yes, sir. I'm taking a leaf out of Hiei's book. 'Don't get mad; get even.'"

Yusuke laughed. "Oh, I'm trembling in fear."

"Seriously, don't piss off the hormonal demon."

"I'll make an effort." Yusuke leaned back and lapsed into comfortable silence. His presence may not be as calming to me as Kurama or Hiei's, but I still enjoyed it. As you can imagine, it was difficult to be depressed when he was around. You were either irritated or amused.

"What would you do if Keiko was in danger?" I asked Yusuke. He looked like I had just asked the dumbest question in history. He should have known I wasn't finished. "The only problem is, she's only in danger as long as you are around her."

Yusuke closed his mouth, thinking (yes, yes, I know. Yusuke, thinking. Inconceivable!). "Is this danger easily defeat-able?" He asked slowly.

I shrugged. "You don't know. And you don't know how to find the danger, or how to fight it. But until you figure something out, she won't stop being in danger." If Yusuke hadn't figured out my point of the story yet, he really was the biggest moron in history.

"I'd run," Yusuke said quickly. "I know that she'd be pissed if I took off, but I won't risk her getting into that kind of danger. I know I'd be able to defeat this danger someday, and when I did, she would be still waiting here for me, ready to belt me the instant I came back."

I pondered Yusuke's answer in my mind. He was certainly right about Keiko waiting forever for him if she had to…

Yusuke stood, heading back towards the ladder we had both climbed up. He pasued, and turned back to me, smiling.

"Don't worry, I won't tell Kurama anything when you leave," he said, surprising me. "Just be careful, okay?" Then he vanished from my sight, down the ladder.

Yusuke's coolness status had been seriously elevated by that answer. When I got back, I vowed to buy him front row seats to the next martial arts world championship.


	7. Chapter 7

I couldn't run fast in my condition, so I really wondered how far I would get before Hiei get suspicious and alert Kurama. I considered stealing a car (I had never hotwired a car before, but I was sure I could manage it) and speeding out of range of Hiei as fast as possible…But with my lack of driving skills, that presented more of a possibility of death than any S Class demon. As I considered my options on the roof of that building, I worried so much I was afraid I would pop the baby out five weeks premature. I had to try something soon.

After sliding awkwardly down the ladder, I began to hobble off towards the city limits as fast as I could. I'm sure a turtle with two legs could have beat me in a race. Sweat dripped down my forehead as I stayed wary of any sounds that could announce the presence of a murderous demon or a furious husband, both equally dangerous.

A hand grabbed my shoulder, halting me in my tracks. My suppresses human scream-reflex shot into full gear and I opened my mouth to shriek. The hand quickly left my shoulder to cover my mouth. My body was getting ready to panic, but my eyes recognized the hand wraps…

"Mmmm-mmm?" I mumbled against the hand. My captor released me, and I turned to face him.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Hiei asked. I couldn't tell whether he was angry or just curious. And I didn't know how to answer so that he would let me go without telling anyone.

"I'm going to Shi-Odori Hospital to discover who's after me." Honesty was always the best policy. Or so they said. "I didn't want anyone to know so that no one else gets hurt."

Hiei raised his right eyebrow. "You're going _alone_?" He asked in disbelief.

I bristled. "Of course! I am a grown woman, you know."

"I can see that," he replied, eyeing my bulging stomach. I rolled my eyes. Must _everyone_ poke fun at the pregnant lady?! Before I could say anything else, Hiei walked past me, in the direction I had been running in a minute ago. Curiously, I began to follow him.

"Where are you going?" I asked in confusion. I would've thought he was going to haul me straight back to Kurama.

"Mmmm?" Hiei replied. "To Kyoto, of course."

In my surprise, I forgot to look when I was walking, and stumbled, nearly belly-planting it. Hiei caught my waist, and easily swung me up in his arms.

"It'll be quicker and far less dangerous this way," He explained, before taking off running. I smiled, and snuggled against Hiei's chest to keep myself and the baby warm.

"You are the best friend _ever_," I told him, "and when we get back, I am going to buy you a badge or something that says exactly that."

"Please don't," Hiei replied. But as I laid my head back against his chest, I could hear him chuckle softly.

**************

I fell asleep in Hiei's arms, and when I woke up, he was slowing down. We were in a forest, and dawn had come and gone. Hiei looked a little tired, so I assumed he was looking for a place to rest. Guiltiness washed over me as I realized he had been carrying me for so long.

"We'll rest during the day," he explained. "It's too hot to run for long and it'll be easier to spot us."

"Alright, sir," I consented instantly. Considering how much he was doing for me, I wanted to be as agreeable as possible.

Hiei soon dropped off to sleep. I felt at ease. He would sense the moment anything meaning us harm came anywhere near. If that did happen, I hoped that this time he would be able to fight whatever it was off.

Despite the fact that I had slept for who knew how many hours, I found myself drifting off into sleep.

A few hours later, I was woken up when the wind rustled through the trees, making me shiver. It looked like a storm was coming in, and right now, I was too weak from the pregnancy to keep myself warm. I considered my options. I could try to start a fire, but I could probably burn the whole forest down in the attempt. While thinking, my eyes fell open the little fire demon, propped up against a tree, snoozing peacefully. I smiled wickedly. I'm sure Hiei wouldn't mind…

I crawled over to him, careful not to make a sound that would wake him. The closer I got to him, the slower I moved, taking a small enjoyment in my little game. When I was right next to him, I cuddled against him, soaking in his natural warmth. He didn't wake up. Now comfortable, I once again lapsed into slumber.

**************

I re-entered wakefulness in stages. By the time I was fully aware of what was going on around me, I remembered I had fallen asleep snuggled up against Hiei. I looked up at him, cautiously. I was surprised to see him with his arms folded behind his head, his red eyes looking up into the tree canopy. I didn't know how long he had been awake, but I suddenly felt ashamed that he had been forced to stay here with me.

He noticed my movements, and looked down at me. He gave me one of his rare smiles.

"Good evening."

"What?" I squealed. "It's evening already?!" No wonder I felt so hungry.

"Apparently we slept all day." From how he phrased that, I hoped it meant he hadn't woken up too long ago.

Hiei scooted away from me slightly, a clear indication that he meant to get up (which triggered the guilty factor yet again). I leaned away from him to support myself, and he gracefully got to his feet. Then, I noticed the fire burning and two rabbits that were roasting over it. So he _had_ managed to get up without me noticing. I was temporarily impressed by that feat before the hunger replaced all other emotions. The rabbit smelled _delicious._ Hiei picked up the stick the rabbits were speared on, obviously not bothered by the fact that the stick must be extremely hot. He waited for the meat to cool off, before breaking the stick in half between the two rabbits, and handing me one of them. I tore into the charred flesh, savoring the taste. I ate like I had been starving for weeks until I began to feel my stomach calm down and stop rumbling. I looked up at Hiei, who was eating his rabbit slower and with more dignity than I.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. Hiei gave me a strange look.

"For what?"

"For…You know…Using you as a pillow without your permission." Wow, that sounded awkward. I may be twenty-two, but sometimes, I felt like I still had the disposition of a teenager.

Hiei bit off a strip of rabbit meat, and shrugged. "I didn't mind," he said with his mouth still full. "Feel free."

I smiled to myself. In the years that I had known Hiei, he had sure changed. In my opinion, it was purely for the better.

* * *

Warning: There is going to be a lot of Aya nad Hiei fluff. I'm a big Hiei fan...Sorry Kurama fans!


	8. Chapter 8

Over the next few days it took for us to get to Kyoto, we fell into a comfortable routine. We slept during the day, ate when we woke up, and ran during the day. I treated Hiei's wounds to make sure they would heal completely. And somehow, we completely evaded demon attacks. I was a little worried about what that meant, but I was still pleased.

And finally, we arrived in Kyoto.

I'd only been in Kyoto once or twice before. Just short trips with my family. The tall buildings, the bustling people, the temples…It was quite a lovely place.

But we didn't need to stay in Kyoto. Shi-Odori Hospital was five miles out of the city. Just barely far enough to be private, but quick to get to in case of an emergency.

I didn't allow Hiei to carry me to the hospital. In case this hospital was behind it all, he needed to be at full strength. I hailed a taxi and it drove us out there.

"Going in for a check-up?" The cabbie asked when I told him where we needed to go. I smiled and nodded, trying to seem like an excited mother-to-be. Hiei didn't seem as accommodating, though. He glared at the driver, which discouraged him from asking any more questions. I rolled my eyes. Maybe I was wrong about him changing that much.

The cabbie drove us to the hospital in silence, except for the music on the radio. I didn't recognize the song, but I hummed along to the obvious chord pattern. All too soon, we were there. I didn't know what to expect. Noting my worry, Hiei reached over and squeezed my hand comfortingly.

Shi-Odori Hospital looked creepier than your average hospital. It was only one level, and in a very squared shape. It was painted dark grey, and the sign in front was carved in an unusually eerie font. Well, I could certainly see why this hospital would treat demons. Even Hiei seemed to approve of the decorating.

He walked me in through the rotating doors, wary of any signs of danger. He stretched out his right hand as if dying to grab the hilt of his sword. I tensed as well, but tried to look natural.

The interior of the hospital looked far more inviting than the exterior. It was bright, with pictures and comfy chairs. The staff looked fairly normal too, although I detected a few of them with demonic or spiritual aura. I didn't sense any danger behind them, though.

I approached the receptionist, and she gave me a cheerful smile.

"Do you have an appointment?" She asked, in a very high-pitched voice.

I hesitated. Oops. I'd forgotten about that. I didn't want to have come all this way just to get stopped at the gate.

"No, we don't." Hiei took over for me, surprising me when he talked politely to the woman. "See, Mana here fell, and she got worried about the baby." He lowered his voice, leaning in closer to the receptionist. "We heard you treat demons here, so…"

The receptionist's eyes widened in recognition. "Of course," she replied calmly. "Today is fairly slow, so we should be able to get you into a doctor. I just have some questions to ask you. One moment."

She busied herself at the computer, and I turned to Hiei. "_Mana_?" I mouthed in confusion. He shrugged.

"I always liked that name," he responded in a voice so quiet I could barely hear. "I didn't think it wise to use your real name."

"Good call, sir." I turned my attention back to the receptionist as she cleared her throat.

"Name, please?" She asked.

"Mana…Kasumiso," I replied, naming myself after the Japanese name for the baby's breath flower. I hoped it wasn't too obvious.

"And the name of the father?" She asked.

Oops. I didn't know whether to supply a name for Kurama. But if I did, then they would think him a bad father, especially if I had come to the hospital with another man…

"Taki Kasumiso," Hiei said. Taki? Like...Waterfall? I blinked in surprise at him as he wound an arm around my waist to keep up appearances. He winked at me.

The receptionist smiled at the both of us, probably since she thought we were the happy soon-to-be parents. I hoped I could lie well enough seeing as I was raging with hormones.

She asked me several other questions, like my age, birth date, race, and other boring things. I answered all of those with the truth, since I doubt it would affect it much anyway. Hiei stayed by my side, silent, but continually watching for the first sign of danger.

After she had completed the form for us, the receptionist guided us to a small exam room. She took my heart rate, blood pressure and temperature, before informing us that a doctor would be in shortly.

When she left us alone, Hiei wandered about the room, opening drawers and cupboards to examine what they contained.

"Doesn't seem like the kidnapping type of equipment," He observed, yanking open a drawer full of bandages and cotton swabs.

I sighed, leaning back in the chair. "Yeah, I know. Maybe this hospital doesn't have anything to do with the kidnappings. Directly, at least. Maybe the kidnappers are getting the information from the hospital, or even faking it in the database…"

"So, you mean something indirect?" Hiei asked absentmindedly.

I blinked. That was a comment I would have expected out of Kuwabara. "Yes, Hiei. Welcome to the conversation." I said slowly. Hiei stared at the wall, as if just realizing the stupidity of his comment. I laughed at him, mentally tallying the score. Aya: 1. Hiei: 0.

Now that he had finished impolitely rummaging through the hospital's equipment, Hiei began to pace the room, as if trying to burn off extra energy. I smirked, thinking of another way to earn me a point.

"Why, Hiei! You're nervous!" I teased.

Hiei must've been much more worried that I thought. He looked up at me, not even angry. "Well, of course I am. I don't know what to expect, or even if I'll be able to protect you this time. If anything were to ever happen to you, I don't know what I'd…" Hiei exhaled in frustration. "Never mind. Just…Watch yourself, okay? Your safety is the most important."

Who knew Hiei could be this caring about another person? I smiled sweetly, trying to think up an adequate reply. But before I could, the door to the exam room swung open.

* * *

You know what I just realized? Kurama doesn't appear a whole heck of a lot in this entire story. I'm so sorry! It's not fair! When he does appear, I'll try to make it as fluffy as possible.


	9. Chapter 9

"Mrs…Kasumiso, right?" The doctor seemed like a pleasant man. He was fit and bespectacled, and he was the type that looked good in a lab coat. I don't know if there actually was a type, but if there was, he was it. He couldn't be more than thirty-five. And just like the hospital, he didn't look like he had anything to do with the disappearances.

"A lightning demon, right?" He asked, looking at the clipboard that undoubtedly had the forms the receptionist had filled out on it. He studied Hiei over the rims of his glasses. "And you are…?"

Hiei gave the doctor a look that meant he thought the doc was a complete idiot. It was a look Kuwabara had been on the receiving end of many times.

"Uhhh…Taki?" Hiei said. The doctor (his name was Dr Seto Otome) laughed, a noise which made Hiei look like he wanted to rip Dr Otome's tongue out.

"No, no, I meant, what race are you?"

Oh. The receptionist hadn't asked that. Hiei didn't exactly look like a fox demon, and his aura was far too fiery to pass for one, either. But, if the doctor wished to examine the baby's aura closely enough, it was unmistakably foxy.

"Fire kitsune," Hiei said, extremely smoothly, "very rare."

"Hmmm," the doctor said, impressed.

"Good one," I mouthed to Hiei. He grinned.

The doctor suddenly swooped close to my belly. I jolted back in surprise, and Hiei's hand flew to the hilt of his sword. But the doctor only sniffed the energy emanating from my stomach.

"Strong," he commented. I glowed with pride. "Let's prepare you for an ultrasound."

Dr Otome left the room to set up the ultrasound. As soon as the door closed, Hiei collapsed into a chair by the door.

"Something wrong?" I asked curiously.

"Hn. I'm just not sure if my nerves can take much more of this. I expect an attack every second…"

I heaved myself up onto his lap, since he was occupying the only chair. I ruffled his hair.

"We'll be fine."

He glared at me. "You know something funny? I remember Yukina saying the exact same thing when she mentioned she was going to go keep you company that one day."

"Well," I said thoughtfully. "We _were_ fine. We just got attacked as well."

"_Not_ funny."

The doctor popped back in the room. "It's ready. Follow me, please."

**************

I'd had ultrasounds before, but I didn't really fancy the looks of this one. The machine was just a little bit too old to look function, but the soft whirring sound proved my eyes wrong.

"Seven months, huh?" The doctor asked, handing me a hospital gown and pointing me to a small curtained closet-thing where I could change.

"Yes," I answered as I changed behind the curtain.

"Hmmm…" He said thoughtfully. "That must mean you've had checkups before, correct? But not here. This is your first time."

My…'spider senses,' or whatever, started to tingle. Such curious questions…

"Yes, my husband and I live in Tokyo," I answered. "We are up here sightseeing. He's never been to Kyoto before."

"Fascinating…" Dr Otome chuckled. I heard him talking to someone. A female someone.

I pulled the curtain back, and walked into the dark room. Dr Otome was no longer in the room, but a middle-aged nurse was sitting in a chair by a hospital bed, the machine whirling and a tube of gel stuff in her hand. She introduced herself as Mineko, and asked me to lay down on the bed. I did so, and pulled up the hospital gown just enough to expose my enormous belly protruding above my pants. Mineko began to rub the gel over my stomach. I shivered as its cold temperature reacted badly with the warmth of my skin.

"Oh, look at that!" Mineko exclaimed, after running some sort of tool over my belly. "There's your baby."

I craned my neck to look at the screen. Amidst the grey static, was a distinctly human-shaped figure. I smiled, thinking about how adorable this kid would be when he or she was born…

The nurse pronounced that the baby looked to be in perfect health. She asked if I wanted to know the sex of the baby, but I said no. Kurama and I wanted it to be a surprise. We already had names, as well. Kurama hoped for a boy, and of course, I hoped for a sweet little girl. I'd just be happy with anything, really, though. And with demons, who knew what could be possible?

**************

They ran the same, usual, tests as always on me. I never noticed anything strange in what they did, except the technology was almost cringe-worthy. I wouldn't have been surprised to find an oil lamp and a sundial somewhere.

Hiei was over relieved when I finally rejoined him. He looked like he was almost about to start ripping his hair out from the stress. He roughly asked the doctor if I could leave, and Dr Otome said yes. Hiei grabbed my arm and almost dragged me to the check out desk, where we could pay.

"Which doctor did you have?" The cashier-woman (or whatever it was she was called) asked.

"Umm…Dr Seto Otome, I think his name was…" I replied.

The cashier-lady looked up at me in surprise. "Are you sure? There's no one by the name of Dr Otome employed here."

I froze, finding myself unable to breathe. "What…?" I asked, my voice strained. Hiei growled behind me, and was on the point of rushing off when I seized his wrist, holding it viciously tight. All my instincts were screaming at me to get out of there as fast as possible.

I smiled politely at the woman. "My mistake. I don't remember his name, then. May I just make the payment?"

"Sure."

As soon as I was done paying, I pulled Hiei from the hospital, trying to look casual. As soon as we passed through the revolving doors, Hiei swung me up in his arms, and took off running, sharing my desire to get far, far away from the hospital.

* * *

Credit to Ms. Kaori Minamino for the 'fire kitsune' thing. They are her creation, not mine.

Dun-dun-duhhhhhh!


	10. Chapter 10

Hiei didn't stop running for a very, very long time. When he did, he was stumbling from exhaustion, and seemed to have a hard time breathing.

"You…are _never_…going back there…again," He gasped.

"Agreed," I replied, thinking of finding water for him. "At least we know that 'Dr' Otome has something to do with it."

"Unfortunately…If he's smart…at all…he'll be long gone…_if_ we go back…to investigate." Hiei said. I noticed that the way he said 'if' strongly implied that we most likely weren't going to go back. Somehow we'd have to find a way of figuring out what Dr Otome was up to without getting anywhere near Kyoto. That reminded me…

"Where exactly have you taken us, sir?" I asked Hiei nonchalantly. He gave me a blank look.

"I don't know."

I smacked the palm of my hand to my face in exasperation. "Fan-frickin'-tastic."

**************

We wandered around for hours before we found a town. After asking around, we finally figured out that we had landed in Hiroshima, which was almost the same distance to Kyoto as Tokyo. It had taken a few days to get to Kyoto from Tokyo, and yet Hiei had managed to run practically the same distance (carrying me, as well) in only a few hours. I was seriously impressed.

But I also worried about his health. He had just finished healing from his skirmish with the demons trying to kidnap me. His body didn't need this kind of stress. I made sure to watch over him carefully. Hiei being at less than full health was the last thing I needed, or wanted.

I insisted on a hotel for the night. Hiei grudgingly agreed, but only if we paid in cash, and kept the blinds closed. Also, a room with two beds.

I gratefully laid down on my bed, enjoying the feeling of the spring mattress and feather pillows. It was the first real bed I'd been on in days. Hiei didn't seem to be enjoying his as much. He sat on the edge tensely, scowling at the floor. Before I could ask what he was thinking about, he opened his mouth to speak.

"I think you should call Kurama." He said gruffly.

My jaw dropped open. That was _exactly_ what I really did not want to do. Kurama would be furious with me! Not to mention, I didn't know if I could say anything that would stop him from rushing right up here to Hiroshima. I stared at Hiei, my eyes begging him not to make me do this. But he was unyielding.

Sighing heavily, I pushed myself off the bed and walked to the phone, as if I was walking to my death. With trembling fingers, I picked up the phone and dialed my home number.

One ring, two rings…I almost allowed myself to hope that Kurama wasn't home. But on the third ring, he picked up.

"Minamino residence." It was _so_ good to hear his voice again! How I had missed it…But that wouldn't stop him from getting incredibly angry at me.

"Kurama?" I said meekly.

A moment's silence, then. "_AYA_!" Kurama yelled. "Where are you?! Are you okay?! What's going on?!"

"Calm down, calm down! I'm fine. Hiei's with me. We're in Hiroshima right now, but we were inspecting Shi-Odori Hospital. It's definitely shady." I was trying to distract Kurama from the fact that I had run away. I should have known it wasn't going to work.

"But _why_, Aya?" His voice was so full of pain that I felt my heart clench. "Why did you leave, and not even tell me?"

"Because," I sighed, "these demons nearly killed Hiei because they were after me. If they'd hurt you, I…" I shook my head, even though Kurama couldn't see. "Anyways, that's not important. I'm _so_ sorry, Kurama, but I had to…Please, just try and understand."

Kurama sighed into the phone. "I understand."

I blinked. "Wait, you do?"

"Well, yes. If I was in your position, and you were in mine, I would have done the same." His tone suddenly became stern. "But don't think that didn't stop me from worrying about you."

"I love you, you know." I said. How lucky was I that I got to have a great husband like this.

"Don't you try and talk your way out of a lecture." Kurama replied, laughing a little.

"Wouldn't dream of it." I said casually. "But, look. We found a bit of a new lead, and I kind of left my laptop at home…"

"So, let me guess. You either want to come home and get it, or you want me to research this lead for you?"

I glanced over at Hiei to ask him about the decision. To my surprise, he was no longer in the hotel room. I turned my attention back to the phone. "Umm…Hold that thought. I have to go find Hiei."

Kurama chuckled in amusement. "Alright. Call me back. And _be careful_."

"Aye-aye." I hung the phone up.

I made one check around the room to make sure Hiei had blended into the shadows and I had overlooked him. Nope. No ornery fire demon in sight. I put a light jacket on, and walked out of the hotel room. I wandered down the hall to the lobby. Considering it was getting late at night, there weren't many people there. It would have been easy to spot Hiei's black spikey hair, but…He wasn't here, either.

I didn't want to wander around too much in my condition. I walked to the front desk, smiling at the pretty young girl behind it.

"Have you, per chance, seen a man, about my height with black hair and black clothes anytime recently?" I asked.

The girl thought for a minute, then shook her head. "No, I haven't. Not since you two checked in. I'm sorry." She seemed sincerely sorry that she hadn't seen him.

I shrugged, trying to act like I wasn't too worried. "No problem. He'll turn up in a few minutes. If you do see him, can you tell him Aya was looking for him?"

"Sure thing."

Dispirited, I walked back to our room. I slid the key card through the electronic lock, and pushed the door open.

"Hiei!" I said in surprise when I saw him standing almost directly in front of me.

"Where did you go? I was worried." He asked.

"Hey, that's _my_ line." I replied, disgruntled.

Hiei shrugged. "I was checking to make sure there's not demons of any threat nearby. And, this place passed the test."

"Good to know. Next time you leave, tell me, okay?" I snapped.

Hiei blinked at me innocently. "You were busy. I didn't want to bother you when you were talking to Kurama."

I frowned. "Why should you care? It's never bothered you before."

He seemed truly intrigued by that question. "I wonder why…" He said, more to himself then me. Given Hiei's present distraction, I decided I would call to say good night to Kurama. I'd ask Hiei about our next plan of action tomorrow.

* * *

You may interpret Hiei's feelings for your own. Anyways, yay for another chapter! I'm almost done writing it (not submitting the chapters) and after that, I have another one planned...We'll see how it goes.


	11. Chapter 11

"Let's go back to Tokyo," Hiei sighed after a good night's sleep. Well, at least I know _I_ got sleep. I think Hiei spent most of the night worrying. He was getting so good at that.

"Why?" I didn't think he'd want to go back. Or that he'd want _me_ to go back.

"Well, I think we've done all we can here. And since Otome now knows about you, I don't think it's a good idea to stick around."

"If it helps any, we're not exactly close to Kyoto at all." I said innocently.

"Don't be a smartass."

"I learned it from you."

Hiei scoffed, and instead left the room to check out. Since I didn't want to take the time or the energy to walk/run all the way back, I picked up the phone to order train tickets.

**************

Hiei was on edge constantly as he sat across from me on the train trip back home. I tried to make small talk, but he would only give me 'hn' or 'humph' as replies. I gave up after a while, and I found that he still 'hmphed' even when I wasn't talking to him. I rolled my eyes, and instead watched the scenery outside the window fly by. My heart jumped in excitement when I thought that in just a few short hours, I could see Kurama again…Sure, it had only been about a week since I had seen him, but it felt like eternity.

I was jolted out of my thoughts by a horrible screeching. I tried to see if there was something wrong out the window, while Hiei stood and unsheathed his sword. Before I could figure out what was going on, the train snapped to a halt, and Hiei was thrown backwards into his seat. I was flung into him, landing in his lap. I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder. I was pretty sure my massive stomach had knocked the breath out of him. The train settled, and now people were screaming. Hiei pushed me away from him to see if I was alright.

My shoulder was bleeding heavily. And it had every right to, considering Hiei's sword had pierced it clean through. I gasped.

Hiei ruthlessly yanked the sword out of my shoulder, then tore a section of his cloak off and gave it to me to try and stop the bleeding. I pressed it against the wound, while he stood up and cautiously walked to the compartment door.

He pulled it open, and peeked out. I looked out over his shoulder.

People were curiously filing in the halls, asking each other if they knew what was going on. They decided on a mechanical failure, but something didn't feel right. I began to wish that I hadn't left my laptop in Tokyo.

"Hey!" I heard a man's voice cry down to the left. I glanced over, in time to see him fall against the door to a compartment. More people were shoved out of the way, getting closer to us. I only had time to see a handsome, muscular man holding a massive club before Hiei pushed me into the compartment. The man attacked Hiei with the club, and Hiei barely had enough strength to parry. Which was saying something, because Hiei was insanely strong.

_Think, think, think_…I chastised myself. I don't think Hiei was going to be able to handle this very well. Against this monster, Hiei's only redeeming trait was his speed, and his attacker was moving just as relentlessly fast.

The humans on the train were screaming, running for the exits. If the people were out of the way, I could think of _one_ thing Hiei could do…But this giant wasn't about to give Hiei any time to do it.

"A distraction!" I cried triumphantly. Hiei and the other didn't even glance my way. I reached up to the metal racks above the seat, and yanked a metal rod off. I twirled it in one hand, and peeked out into the hall to find an opportunity.

There. The attacker's club smashed into Hiei's chest, and he jumped back to minimize the damage. But he was still thrown a good distance away. I leapt out, and lunged at the giant of a man. I managed to tackle him to the ground, only because his surprise made him drop his guard. I pushed the metal rod savagely against his throat, even though it was nowhere near enough to do him in. I think he was still too utterly shocked by my sudden attack to retaliate yet.

"Hiei!" I screamed over my shoulder, "dragon!"

Hiei was just barely getting to his feet, and I could see by his expression that he understood. The demon's sense returned, and I was thrown off of him. I landed roughly in the center of the hallway. Behind me, I could feel Hiei's aura growing in intense power. I threw myself to the ground, and heard a horrible shriek as Hiei's Dragon flew at the demon. I covered my head, and felt a massive gust of wind and heat. I didn't dare look up until I felt Hiei lightly touch my shoulder.

The whole train had been pretty much destroyed, thanks to the Dragon. Black fire was sizzling out everywhere. Hiei took my hand and pulled me to my feet. We both stared at the mass destruction for a minute.

Hiei began to pull me away, towards the side of the train that was still relatively in one piece.

"Guess this means we're walking."

* * *

Goodness, I love Hiei. It's terribly hard to do a love story with him, or else it would have been _him _Aya fell in love with in the first story, blah, blah, blah...

Anyways, I digress. Hope you enjoyed it! And all that jazz...


	12. Chapter 12

People stared at us as we walked through the streets of Tokyo. I hated the attention, but I also thought it was well deserved. Both of us were covered in soot, dirt, and blood, with our clothes in pieces. I was only thankful that Hiei still had enough cloak to cover up his sword. I was worried enough that someone would call the cops on us without that problem.

And for once, I was thankful for Hiei's extreme antisocial-ness. He had taken to glaring at anyone who stared at us, which made them turn away rather quickly. But still, it felt like it was taking an eternity and a half to reach my house…

"Don't they have anything better to do then stare?!" Hiei snarled angrily, the suddenness of his comment causing me to jump.

"Apparently not, sir." I sighed. "But in their defense, you _did_ just destroy a train."

"They don't know that." He said, before continuing his angry glaring.

"Aya! Hiei!"

My heart leapt into my chest when someone yelled our names. Hiei's hand flashed out to clutch the hilt of his sword. I laughed in joy when I recognized the voice.

"Yusuke!" I ran to him, and threw my arms around him. After letting go of me, he ruffled my hair.

"Mouse! Shorty! Long time, no see!" Kuwabara said, running up behind Yusuke.

Hiei growled. "Not long enough." He begin to walk off again, not even looking back to see if we were following.

Hiei began to follow the familiar path to the Minamino house, where he, Kurama, and I lived. My heart beat harder with each step I took. Kurama…Oh, if I could run…

Hiei seemed to pick up on my thoughts. With no words, he scooped me up and began to run. Yusuke and Kuwabara picked up the pace behind us, no questions asked. Now even more people were staring, but I was too excited to care.

My house loomed into sight. I tapped Hiei's arm, telling him he could let me down. We slowed the pace, and walked up the sidewalk to the front door.

I hesitated, wondering if Kurama was going to be super pissed when he saw me. I touched my hand to the doorknob, but before I could twist it, the door flew open.

I jumped back in surprise, partly from the shock, and partly from seeing Kurama. I'd forgotten just how gorgeous he was. I smiled warily.

"Honey," I said, "I'm ho-" I was cut off as Kurama threw his arms around me, and my mouth was eclipsed by his lips.

"Aya," he gasped, clutching me so tight that between him and the baby, I really was uncomfortable.

"The lack of air is really becoming an issue, sir," I hissed. Kurama let go of me, slightly embarrassed. Especially when Yusuke and Kuwabara began to laugh.

"Shut up," I snapped at them. I had a sudden, burning desire to be alone with Kurama right now.

Kurama glanced past me at them, and his expression became puzzled. "Isn't Hiei with you?"

Startled, I looked around. Hiei had indeed vanished. I had been so concentrated on Kurama that I hadn't noticed his disappearance. I felt a momentary sadness, but he might have only left to get away from me. We had almost never left each other's side for a week, and too much Aya isn't good for you.

The four of us went in the house, and Yusuke, Kuwabara and I sat down in the living room while Kurama fetched us tea. I scooted myself to the front of the couch so I could reach the table that my laptop was resting on. I ran my fingers over the cold keyboard, feeling like I was a child that had just found my long lost doll.

The computer whirred to life as Kurama set two cups on the table before seating himself beside me. His leg brushed against mine, sending a shock of pleasure through my nerves. It was all I could to restrain myself from taking him down and doing naughty things to him right on the sofa.

I tried to concentrate on the screen, typing in the name 'Seto Otome.' As I thought, there was no record of a doctor or a demon by that name ever existing. But there was a human…

"Seto Otome," I read aloud, "was a seventeenth century exorcist."

"Seventeenth century?!" Yusuke gasped. "Man, he must be ancient!"

"He ages well," I muttered, skimming through the rest of the information on the webpage. Helped people, blah blah blah…Became famous, blah blah blah…

"Ah!" I exclaimed when I came across something interesting. "'The changing point in Otome's life was when he was called to treat the daughter of the bishop. None of the priests or holy men the bishop called upon could expel the demon from his daughter's body. Otome accepted the call, and attempted to treat the girl. As he found out, the girl had started off being possessed, but eventually, the demon had taken over the girl's body, and she herself had become the demon. She was pregnant, and the baby was going to be born the ultimate evil. The girl prepared to consume Otome, for sustenance. But, Otome proved to be more than the demon could handle, and the girl's body gave out, transferring the demon to Otome. In the years to come, Otome grew in power, only by consuming girls that had been in the bishop's daughter's physical state, at the peak of their ripeness."

A silence followed my reading.

"Well, at least we know who the 'big bad' is." Kurama said, trying to sound reassuring.

"Ripeness…?" Yusuke asked in confusion.

"I don't want to know," I said. "At least we know the who and what now."

Kurama put his arm around my shoulders, and I snuggled into his warmth. "It would be a lot more helpful if we had Hiei here to help." he commented.

I felt bothered by Hiei's disappearance. Had I done something wrong? Hiei was known to be very cold and affront, but not to me…I thought he would hang around to make sure everything was okay. I made up my mind to go searching for him in the morning.

It was already getting dark, and I felt extremely tired. There wasn't much else we could do for the day, so Yusuke and Kuwabara went home. After a quick meal, Kurama and I went to bed.


	13. Chapter 13

I woke up in the morning, as the sun was just barely rising. I snuggled deeper into the feathered pillow, enjoying the softness. Kurama wrapped his arms around my massive belly and pulled me against his chest. I giggled.

"Good morning," he murmured, nuzzling my neck. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling.

"Mmm. Morning." I replied, placing my hand on his. I traced the nerves in his hand, feeling the blood pumping through them. I brought his hand to my lips, and kissed the back.

"I like this," he said, his voice so quiet it barely seemed to disturb the silence of the morning. "I didn't realize how much I missed waking up next to you."

"Sorry." I was beginning to feel guilty about leaving with no word, but my trip certainly had been productive. No one could deny that.

Kurama didn't say anything. I felt his lips press again my neck, then his teeth. I pulled away from his mouth as his touch began to tickle.

"Hey!" I said, as he trapped my arms, rendering me helpless. "No fair!"

"All's fair in love and war."

I settled down as I contemplated that comment. Was all fair in love and war? If someone cheated on their significant other, was that fair? And was Otome's devouring of these poor girls fair?

It was difficult to remember that I was also one of the girls that Otome wanted to eat. But I wasn't going to let him. No way.

"Kurama," I asked in a normal voice, breaking the peaceful quiet. "We haven't visited her in a long time, have we?"

"Hmmm? Who?" Kurama was intrigued by my question. His arms loosened, and I was able to roll over to face him.

"Shiori. Your mother." Kurama's mother, Shiori, Kurama's stepfamily had moved out of Tokyo a little bit after Kurama and I had gotten married. I never quite understood their reason for moving. Shiori had said that Tokyo had become to noisy for her liking. Shiori's husband had said it was because they didn't want to intrude on us. I didn't know whose answer to trust. I also wondered what Shiori was going to do when she saw my baby for the first time. What if the baby looked nothing like a human?

**************

I watched the scenery pass by, similar to the train trip back from Hiroshima, except this time we were in a car, and I was with Kurama.

Shiori only lived in Urawa, which was a few hours drive from Tokyo. I felt at peace in the car, listening to J-pop. Safe. Maybe it was because this car could out-power a monster truck. Or maybe it was Kurama's fingers intertwined with mine. Whatever it was, I was grateful for it.

Shiori was delighted to see us. "Look at how big you've gotten!" She cried when she saw me. She touched one of her hands against my stomach, and I willed the baby to kick, just so she would be happy. Luckily, the baby obeyed my mental wish. Shiori laughed with delight. She ushered us into her house, and pranced to the kitchen to serve us tea.

I had always felt slightly awkward around Kurama's stepfamily. I had a hard time remembering his stepfather's name, but his stepbrother shared his human name. They were a kind enough lot. Too kind in fact - hence the awkwardness. I mean, I may be pregnant, but I was still capable of doing some things by myself. But none of Kurama's family would let me. It was taking chivalry to a fault.

"So…" Kurama said, trying to break the awkward silence, "how's school going, Shuichi?"

Shuichi made a face, and Kurama laughed. I didn't think Shuichi's father seemed to appreciate that much. I smiled, the first non-awkward moment I had had since coming here. I enjoyed it, although I knew it wouldn't last.

Shirori came back with tea, and sat down to talk with us. I tried to listen as she chatted on about her job, but I found my attention wandering. I hoped Kurama's family wouldn't notice, because it was rather rude of me. I pressed a hand to my stomach, feeling the baby kick, just thinking.

Something was wrong. I could feel it, like there was a snake twisting and writhing in my gut. It felt like I was watching a horror movie, and the diminished chords in the music were a promise that something very violent was about to happen.

I shot to my feet, and everyone's eyes flashed to me in alarm. I was gasping for breath now.

"Kurama…" Was all I had time to say before the glass window behind me shattered.

I screamed, throwing myself to the ground and covering my head. Arms seized me around my waist, and I felt momentarily reassured, before I realized that it wasn't Kurama's touch. I tried to scream again, but a wad of cloth was shoved into my mouth. I almost gagged. Something cold and metal clamped around my wrist, and suddenly, I felt as if all my energy had been drained from me. My vision dulled and my scent of smell felt like it had been shut off. I couldn't feel Kurama's aura, or any aura at all, and the din around me was just noise; I couldn't pick out individual sounds. My whole body felt like an electrical wire that had been cut, so that the electricity had been instantly vanished. It was an awful feeling. It felt like I was human again.

The baby viciously kicked into my ribs, showing that it didn't appreciate the loss of power either. But I didn't have enough strength to fight back anymore. I was dimly aware of being dragged backwards, through the broken window, and across the grass lawn. I was pulled into some sort of vehicle, and the cloth was removed from my mouth. Instead, another cloth was pressed against my mouth, smelling sickly sweet. I breathed it in, even though my instincts were screaming at me not to. The world around me was growing blurry, and I…I was…

* * *

I have forgotten Kurama's stepfather's name (if it was ever mentioned) and I think his stepbrother's is Shuichi, like him...But I don't remember for sure. Anyone know?


	14. Chapter 14

I woke up, feeling dazed and confused. I didn't know where I was, and my memory of the day was blurry. Where…was I? Light was shining through a window, but I couldn't make out much of my surroundings. Maybe I was still loopy from the chloroform? I was apparently lying on the floor, though. I stood up, and almost immediately fell back down. Yep, it was definitely the drugs. I waited until the effects of the chloroform mostly wore off before trying to get up again. The window that was the only source of light in the room was open, but there were thick metal bars stretching across it. When I looked out the window, the drop to the ground was a good four stories. Even if I could somehow get the metal bars off the window, I wasn't sure if I was in any condition to survive the four-story fall.

The view outside was breathtaking. And I'm sure I would have been very enchanted if I was here of my own free will. Sandy beaches stretched out, melding in with the blue sea, sparkling in the sun. Birds chirped, and waves crashed into the shore, creating a very soothing sound. It was beautiful, but I didn't recognize the area.

Something was biting uncomfortably into the skin around my left wrist. In the dim light, I could see what looked like a metal bracelet, clasped tightly. I had no hope to get it off, but whatever it was, I did know it didn't belong on my wrist.

Giving up on trying to get the bracelet off, I walked around the room to find the door. It was surprisingly unlocked. I opened it, peeking outside cautiously. The ornate hall was clear of anyone. I briefly wondered who had kidnapped me. I hadn't had time to see anyone. I also wondered if Kurama and his family were okay…If anything happened to Shiori, I did not like to think of what he'd do…

This place I was trapped in was huge, and decorated in a European Baroque style. Fancy, and terribly expensive considering everything looked quite antique.

I heard voices, and a moment later, two men walked around a corner. I froze in shock, preparing to make a run for it if they tried to attack me. But they only glanced at me before continuing to walk past me as if I wasn't even there. And believe me, it was pretty difficult not to notice a massively-pregnant woman standing in the middle of the hallway.

Confused, I began to sneak down the hall, the way the two men had just come from. I walked into a dusty dining room. It didn't make sense that the whole place so far had bee clean and neatly polished, and yet this room was covered in dust and dirt. I walked around the room, examining it for anything suspicious. I couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. But something was still odd about it. I decided to come back and search it further later.

I stepped out of the room, and immediately crashed into a large body. I stumbled back, fixing my eyes on what I'd hit. I gasped in horror.

Dr Seto Otome was standing in front of me, looking wickedly gleeful.

"How's our little patient?"

"You!" I snarled furiously, crouching defensively. "Get out of my sight, or I'll-"

"Or you'll what?" Otome taunted. "Take a look at that bracelet on your wrist."

I peeked down at the bracelet, not noticing anything different from when I'd looked at it in the room. I was careful not to take my eyes off of Otome for more than a second.

Otome took a step closer to me, and I backed up. "That bracelet is a holy charm used to strip a demon of its powers. As you can feel, it's quite effective. You as weak and useless as a common human."

I gritted my teeth angrily, but I knew there was nothing I could do. Unfortunately, Otome was right. I was as helpless as I had been before becoming a demon. Even more so, because I didn't even have my laptop with me.

"What do you want from me?" I asked coldly, even though I already knew the answer.

Otome reached out to stroke my belly. I flinched in disgust at his touch. "Dinner, of course."

I growled, showing my teeth. I knew I wasn't very threatening at the moment, so I wasn't really surprised when he laughed at me. "You touch my baby, and I _will rip you apart_."

"Good luck trying," Otome said, still laughing. He turned and walked away from me.

**************

Over the next few days, I found I was able to go to any part of the mansion I wished. Every window on the first, second and third floors were barred, and jumping from anything higher would have killed my baby and/or me. I couldn't even find a door to the outside. I didn't see many other people around, just usually servants and a few guards. None of them paid any attention to me, and that was the way I wanted it.

I moved into a larger, more elegant room with a very comfy bed, and was fed generously. It seemed like Otome was trying to keep me as healthy as possible. I was glad that I wasn't be starved, but still…I didn't like the reason why he was taking such good care of me.

One day, I was sitting in my room, which was on the second floor. I stared out at the ocean from my window, and I heard footsteps behind me. I didn't even have to turn to recognize them as Otome's footsteps. I didn't make any move to acknowledge his presence.

"When are you due, Aya?" He sneered. I didn't answer. He leaned over the chair I was sitting in, breathing into my face.

"Do you know why I let you do whatever you please here?" He hissed. Yet again, I said nothing. "It's because, even if you had your powers, you would have no chance of fighting me and winning. You're still far too green."

"Well, yes, compared to you, old man," I snapped back. A weak insult, I know, but still, it seemed to have worked. Otome's mocking smile slipped from his face, and he slapped me across the cheek. I tasted blood.

"Remember your place, you little witch," he snarled, "Or I may not be so forgiving." He stalked out of my room, leaving me to spit out the blood on the floor.


	15. Chapter 15

I thought about Kurama quite a lot. I didn't want to think that I would never see him again. But how would he and the others find me? Otome had probably taken us far out of the reach of Hiei's Jagan eye. I hated being a damsel in distress, but there was really nothing I could do. I tried to formulate escape plans, but every time I thought I had a good one, Otome would somehow figure it out and stop me. It was incredible, in a bad way. I had half a mind to think he was telepathic. Either way, I was stuck here.

I was getting used to being 'human' again, although I didn't like it. I needed to eat more often, sleep more often, pee (demon bodies used every bit of the food they ingested, so therefore, demons never excreted waste), and my dulled senses made it feel like I had an awful head cold. I hated not being able to smell anything. My back ached horrifically from the weight of my belly. I was terrified to think about the effect these changes would have on the baby.

Staying here wasn't totally terrible, though. There was a little kitchen girl that brought me my food. She was adorable, and sweet, as if she had never known any evil in the world. Sometimes she would stay with me for a while, talking. Her name was Wakana, an apparently, her mother had been one of the pregnant girls that had gone missing. I felt sorry for her, but she didn't seem to mind. I felt even more sorry when I asked her to send a letter for me.

"A letter…?" Wakana asked in confusion.

"Yes," I said earnestly. "It's very important. Do you think you can do it?"

Wakana nodded. "Does Master Otome know?"

"No," I replied forcefully. "And you must not tell him, or anyone else. Do you understand? Don't tell anyone." I felt awful for asking this of her. If she was found out, then I was scared to think of what Otome would do to her. I vowed to rescue her from this place as well.

Wakana managed to bring me a sheet of paper, and envelope, and a pen. As hurriedly as I could, I scrawled a desperate letter to Kurama, telling him everything I knew about where I was, and what was going on. I begged him to hurry, because I could feel the birth of our child getting closer and closer. Finally, I kissed the bottom of the letter as a signature, and folded it inside the envelope. I wrote my home address on the outside of the envelope, before handing it to Wakana with specific instructions not to let anyone else even know she had the letter. She was a sweet girl.

Now, all I could do was wait. I fiddled with the metal band on my wrist, wondering what Kurama was doing right now. Was he worried about me? Selfishly, I hoped so. But that was highly inconsiderate of me, considering his family had also been in the crossfire of the attack.

I kept myself preoccupied during the days of my captivity by teaching myself how to sing. I had never really tried before, but the music soothed me and made me forget where I was temporarily. Then came the day that Wakana returned with a letter for me.

At first, I just thought she was brining me my usual meal. But then I noticed the sheet of paper she was holding. With shaking fingers, I broke the seal and opened it.

It was…Blank. My heart fell in disappointment, and I sighed. The envelope didn't have any return address, and I didn't recognize the writing that spelled out my name on the front. I even tried to hold it up to a light to see if it was written in lemon juice (or some other form of invisible ink), but I got nothing. With a sad sigh, I folded the paper back into the envelope and hid it in my pillowcase. Suddenly weary, I collapsed on the bed and fell immediately asleep.

**************

I had a very strange dream. I dreamt I was standing still in a great expanse of darkness. I felt like I was being chased, yet I made no attempt to move. I could feel the presence getting closer and closer, and I was worried. Or, maybe worried wasn't the best word for it. Anticipation, maybe? Excitement? I wondered if whoever it was chasing me was friend or foe. Either way, it was something that could get me out of this place. Add a little spice to my life. I held my arms out to try and reach the presence, but before I could, a sharp pain stabbed into my body. I screamed…

…And woke up screaming. My voice faltered as I realized this, and I began to pant. The bed was wet beneath me, and I assumed it was from my sweat. The pain from my dream was still lingering, strangely. With a jolt of shock, I understood that the pain hadn't been in my dream, but it was in real life and had only been invading my dream. A contraction!

All kinds of emotions flowed through me at once. Shock, delight, fear and dread, just to name a few. I had to get out of here. There was no way I was going to let the baby be born without Kurama present…

I heaved myself out of the bed, and hobbled to the door. I pulled it open, and walked right into Otome. I gasped, stumbling back. He caught my arm just in time to save me from falling to the floor.

"Ah, right on time," he said, grinning in a way that made me want to slap him. "How _ripe_ you smell."

Ah. So that was it. He had kidnapped all of these other pregnant demonesses, and kept them here until they had gone into labor, and had their child. Then he had proceeded to devour them whole.

Or at least, I _thought_ he ate them whole. I hoped so. I really didn't want to be chopped into little pieces and basted with sweet and sour sauce before I got eaten.

I backed away from him. "Leave me alone."

"Ah," Otome sighed, "not a possibility, I'm afraid. Unless I eat you, I'll die. I haven't eaten in a while."

"Serves you right, sir." I snarled as viciously as possible. Otome laughed.

"We still have some time until you'll be prime to eat," he said, before leaving me, "try and make yourself as comfortable as possible until then."

* * *

I'm sorry my chapters are so short! I have such a short attention span that I can't keep focused for longer chapters...My apologies...


	16. Chapter 16

Comfortable…Yeah, right. Giving birth was the farthest thing from comfort. I was laying in the bed with my legs spread apart, midwives and servants milling about. I was drenched in sweat, and I had difficulty not crying out every time a contraction hit. It almost felt like I was going to explode. I was having a hard time listening to the midwives when they told me to breathe in a certain way, and I refused to push when they told me to.

"I'm not having this kid until my husband's here, and _you're_ dead," I snarled angrily at Otome. He laughed mockingly.

"If it's time for the baby to be born, I doubt you're going to have much choice there," he replied, still chuckling. I growled in fury.

I really didn't want my child to became a slave to this monster. I didn't know how many of these servants were children of girls like me, that Otome had killed. Of course, there was a possibility that he might eat my baby, too, depending on how strong he/she was.

I shrieked as another contraction hit. Getting smacked around by monsters twice my size? No big deal. Giving birth? A _whole_ new playing field.

I swore viciously, some words that usually shouldn't be uttered on the human plane, and most of them directed at Otome. He looked amused, if nothing else. I entertained myself in the minutes until the next contraction imagining all the awful things I would like to see happen to him.

"Oh," Otome said casually. "I do take requests. What should you like your baby named if it's a girl?"

"You bastard," I gasped.

He nodded. "Uh-huh. And if it's a boy?" He set his hand on the pillow close to my head. I snapped at it, hoping to bit off a finger. He moved away too quickly.

"You just wait until I get this bracelet off," I hissed. "_I'll rip you to pieces_!"

Otome patted my head, but moved away before I could retaliate. "Strange as it may sound, I'm not very threatened." He looked up at the head midwife. "Come and get me after she delivers." The midwife nodded, and then Otome left the room.

**************

Throughout my life, I had always heard all these horror stories about birth. But I had never though that it could really be that bad. Several hours of agonizing labor had made me a believer. I didn't know why it was taking so long, though. Was something wrong? But the midwives bustling about didn't seemed worried, so I decided to keep my cool. Relatively speaking. I was sure the midwives had heard every single curse word in my vocabulary at least ten times, but I didn't really care anymore.

I was surprised when Wakana hurried in. She looked around worriedly at all the people around the room, before hurrying to my bedside. She stood on the tips of her toes to whisper in my ear.

"There's four strange men who want entrance into the kitchen," she whispered. "They say they know you. Should we let them in?"

I grabbed Wakana's hand gratefully. "Yes," I hissed. "Please do. And hurry."

Wakana scurried from the room, and instantly, the dank castle seemed to glow. Kurama was here! He'd found me! I was so happy. So, so hap-

"YAAAAAHHH!" I screamed, as agony wracked my body. I arched my back and squirmed, desperately trying to find something that would alleviate the pain. Nothing worked. I squeezed my teary eyes shut, wondering if I'd be able to live through this. Oh, the pain…

I wasn't aware of how much time passed. But suddenly, the agony that threatened to tear me apart was gone. I felt a dull ache, but other than that, nothing. Then the most beautiful sound I could think of hit my ears. A soft, slightly yipping baby's cry.

I craned my neck to see. A sweet, yowling, blood-and-other-stuff-covered baby was being held by a midwife. I sighed happily, and watched as the midwife cleaned the baby off with a towel. I held my arms out, and the woman handed the baby to me. A girl. How adorable! And very inhuman. She had strawberry-blonde fuzz on the top of her head, and no regular, human ears. Instead, she had large fox ears, the same color as her hair. I peeked in the towel she was wrapped in. Yep, just as I thought. She also had a bushy blonde fox tail. Wait - not one fox tail, but two! She was just too cute! She opened her eyes to blink up at me. She had strange, multi-colored eyes. Before she closed them again, I counted at least four of the colors of the rainbow. She was the loveliest thing in the world.

"Sonata Kiyoko Minamino," I smiled, greeting my baby. She cooed, responding to my voice. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one midwife gesture to another, and the second one left the room. Oh yeah. I forgot where I was. And now that Sonata had been born, I was going to get…This was bad.

I held Sonata tighter against me. "Hurry _up,_ Kurama…" I whispered quietly.

* * *

If you have a good memory, you'll remember that in the earlier chapters, I had named the baby something else. I decided to change it, because it didn't seem right. So ta-da!

Crap...That was a _really _short chapter...


	17. Chapter 17

I waited with bated breath for something to happen. For what, exactly? I didn't necessarily know. But _something_.

And that something came. Suddenly, in the hallway, I heard loud crashes and shouts - four of the five voices were ones I knew very well, and loved dearly. I clutched Sonata closer to me, laughing.

"Do you hear that, Nata? That's your daddy! He's coming!"

Sonata, sensing my good mood, smiled and giggled, proving that she was definitely not an ordinary human baby.

"Aya!" A voice yelled from the hallway. I couldn't stop smiling.

"In here, Kurama!" I shouted back. "Come and meet your daughter!"

Kurama entered the room a moment later, covered in scratches and blood, but to me, he looked like an angel. He broke out in a smile when he laid eyes on Sonata, and came forward to kiss me and stroke her head.

"Do you want to hold her?" I asked.

"More than anything," he replied. "But right now, we are fighting a battle with a demonic doctor, so I'm going to have to wait. We're keeping him alive for now, though, because we thought you might be interested in doing the honors of killing him."

I smiled at my husband. "I'd love to." I handed Sonata to my favorite midwife, the one who seemed to resent Otome as much as I. Kurama caught my wrist in his hand.

"What's this?" He said, examining my metal bracelet.

"Something that restrains my power. I'm as weak as a human."

Kurama chuckled. "Considering how two of our best friends happen to be the most powerful humans in the world, that doesn't count as much." He suddenly became serious. "I've seen these before…If I'm right, then…" He muttered some mystic mumbo-gumbo, which sounded faintly like Yiddish or Swahili, and the metal band fell off my wrist in two pieces. I gaped at it.

"I wish I would have known how to do that sooner!" I snapped. Kurama laughed.

"I know just what to do with this." He took my hand, and led me out in the hall, where Otome was trapped by Hiei, Kuwabara, and Yusuke. Hiei, once he spotted me, threw something quite large through the air. I caught it, smiling at the familiar touch of my laptop. Kurama walked to Otome, and snapped the metal band around his wrist. Otome staggered.

Grinning wickedly, I sauntered toward Otome. When I reached him, I held my laptop securely, and smacked him straight across the face with it. Blood and teeth sprayed everywhere.

"THAT was for all the girls you killed!" I yelled. I whacked him across the other cheek. "THAT was for using their children as slaves!" I gripped the corners of my laptop more securely, and then leapt into the air. "_This_ is for wanting to eat me!" I brought the laptop straight down on Otome's head, and he crumpled to the ground. I landed nimbly on my feet, grinning with satisfaction. With no further ado, I began to kick his body as viciously as possible, muttering swear words.

"Uh…Aya?" Hiei said awkwardly. "I think he's dead." Sighing because he had spoiled my fun, I backed off, tucking my blood-covered laptop under my arm.

"You're pretty spry for a woman who just gave birth," Yusuke remarked. I was now in too good of a mood to glare at him, so I punched him semi-playfully in the arm.

When we got back to the room, the midwife was still holding Sonata. Since I was now covered in Otome's blood, I didn't think I should hold our daughter. I gestured to Kurama to take her from the midwife, which he did, smiling brightly.

"Sonata," he whispered, caressing her cheek. She sneezed, and lightning sparked out of her nose. I thought was the cutest darn thing I'd ever seen. Yusuke, Kuwabara and I crowded around Kurama and Sonata, just watching our little fox baby. She was confused by the attention, yet seemed to enjoy it all the same.

"Do you want to go home?" Kurama asked. I wasn't sure if he was talking to Sonata or I, but since she couldn't talk, I decided to answer.

"Oh! Wait! We have to free the slaves!" I said, dashing out of the room.

"Free the slaves?" Hiei repeated sardonically, following me. "Now you're going around freeing slaves?"

"Be nice," I snapped. "These slaves are the children of all the girls Otome has eaten."

Kurama cuddled Sonata with one of his arms, and took my hand with his free one.

"Come on," he said, giving me a smile that made my heart leap. "Let's go find these slaves."

I led him and the others to where I remembered the kitchen being. I was on edge, wondering if any guards would try to assault us. But, we managed to pass through the entire massive house with no trouble.

"Hey." I said suddenly. "Why did you send me a blank piece of paper? It was _you_ that sent it to me, right?"

Kurama chuckled. "Yes. I'm sorry about that. That paper was treated to react with your spirit energy, and it would send out a signal when you touched it. Hiei could trace that signal, and lead us right to you."

I blinked in surprise. So, THAT'S what is was! "Ingenious," I complimented.

"Thanks," Hiei replied shortly. I giggled.

"It _was_ his idea, after all," Kurama whispered. Grinning wickedly, I threw my arms around Hiei, kissing him on the cheek.

"Thank you, Hiei!" I cried. The angry fire demon struggled to get out of my grasp.

"Hey! Get off, Aya!" He growled. Laughing, I let go, and he lost his balance, falling flat on his face. I crouched down, as he got to his knees.

"Oops." I said, sheepishly. "Sorry, Hiei."

"It's alright." He said icily, getting to his feet and continuing to walk on. I frowned, also standing up.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked the other three boys in confusion. "If possible, he's even colder than usual."

Yusuke shrugged. "He's been like that for a while, probably ever since you guys got back from Kyoto. He even passed on the perfect opportunity to tease Kuwabara earlier."

"Huh." I said. How strange. I couldn't think of anything that had happened over the trip to make Hiei like this.

Kurama's hand gently brushed against my cheek. "Don't worry about it right now. Let's just focus on rescuing the slaves."


	18. Chapter 18

The kitchen and servant's quarters were mass chaos. Probably some of the midwives that had been in the room when Otome had been killed had ran here, to report. All of the slaves shied away from us, obviously afraid that we would kill them next. I tried to appear as harmless as possible, but I don't think it worked well, considering I was covered in Otome's blood.

"Miss Aya!" A small voice cried from somewhere in the midst of cowering servants. I caught sight of movement, and before I knew it, Wakana had threw her arms around my waist, hugging me tightly.

"You're safe!" She cried. "I thought for sure that Master would kill you!"

Smiling fondly, I bent down so that I was eyelevel with the little girl. "Otome's gone, Wakana. You never have to be afraid of him again."

Wakana looked surprised, and almost like she didn't believe me. I stood up again, keeping a hand on Wakana's shoulder.

"We've come to help you get out," I announced to the room of people. "Otome is dead, so there's no reason for any of you to stay here."

"But…" A timid voice called out. "Where will we go?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. You're free to choose."

Hiei snorted. "Sure, _that's_ helpful." I glared at him.

"Just shut up and help," I snapped. I was grateful to have Hiei here, considering I thought I'd done something wrong on our trip together, but still. Sometimes he could be such a little brat!

The five…No, _six_ of us led the slaves out of the mansion. I had no idea where we even were, but apparently, Hiei did. He stayed at the front of the group, sullenly ignoring the rest of us. I was starting to wonder if he was suffering some sort of male demon PMS, if that even existed. And people called _me_ hormonal! Still…Was something my fault? Argh!

"What's up, Aya? You look…Upset." Kuwabara observed.

"Nothing," I replied, a little bit snippy. Kuwabara didn't question me further. He had been around me for enough years to know when to shut up if he knew what was good for him.

Sonata squealed, a noise that I think meant she was getting hungry. Hiei looked back to glare at her in annoyance. Was that it? Did he just not like children? I brushed my hand on Sonata's tails, and she cooed. Curious, I reached up and scratched her ears. She liked that too. I wouldn't have been surprised if she started purring. Kurama chuckled.

"Hey, hey, let's save the mushy for when we get home," Yusuke warned us. I rewarded him with an irritated glare. But nevertheless, I took my hand away from Sonata and my husband, and concentrated on the escape.

**************

"Fresh air!" I exclaimed when we were outside. During the whole time of my captivity, I hadn't been outside once. It was wonderful. I danced around in the sunlight, causing my friends and a few of the ex-slaves to laugh. Ah, the sweetness of a good frolic.

"You were only in there for little over three weeks," Hiei commented, as though he thought my moderately-wild frolicking was completely idiotic. Okay, I'd had enough of this!

I spun around, walking right up to Hiei and sticking my face in his. "Okay, whatever problem you have with me, you need to talk to me about it, instead of getting crabby about it, got it?"

Hiei snarled at me. "It's none of your business! Leave it alone."

"Umm…" Kurama said awkwardly. "We'll just go on. Catch up with us when you're ready." He and the others all walked right past us. I turned my attention back to a now very pissed Hiei.

"Look, just talk to me!" I pressed. Hiei looked away from me, his lips curling over his teeth angrily.

"Why should I?" Hiei hissed. "Why should you care about what's going on with me?"

I grabbed his arm to force him to look directly at me. His eyes were practically on fire (not too much of a stretch, considering he _was_ a fire demon, after all) as he glared at me. "I _care_ because you're my best friend, you moron! I'm sorry if I've done something, but no matter what, I'll always love you-"

Hiei tore his arm out of my grasp and leapt away. "Don't _say_ that!" He snapped. Not so much with anger anymore, just fear and surprise. Curious…

"Look," He said quietly. "There's nothing you've done wrong. Nothing. So don't worry about it, okay? I'll be fine."

"I don't know that," I replied, taking a step closer to him. "I just want you to be happy again, like we used to be."

He sighed. "I don't think we can ever be the way we were again. It's just…Something. But like I said, don't worry. I'll get over it."

I hesitated, before pulling away from him. "Alright…Well, just…Be careful, I guess. And make sure you don't be a stranger. I'm sure Sonata will love growing up with you around."

Hiei smirked. "Of course she will." And then, before my eyes, he vanished.

**************

I jogged lightly to catch up with the others. I didn't think too much heavy exercise was good for a girl who'd just given birth, even if I was a badass demon.

"Where's Hiei?" Kurama asked when I trotted up to his side.

I smiled, certain that everything was going to be okay with my short-tempered little friend. "He'll meet us back in Tokyo." I answered. Kurama gave me a funny look.

"Is he alright…?" He asked slowly. I nodded, almost before Kurama had finished the question.

"Yeah, I think he is."

"If you ask me," Kuwabara grumbled, "he needs to pull his head out of his a-"

I smacked him on the back of his head before he could finish his sentence. "Be quiet, you twerp."

"Ow!"


	19. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Wahh!" Sonata cried. I groaned, rolling over in the bed.

"Don't worry," Kurama whispered, nuzzling my neck. "I'll get it."

I missed Kurama's warmth instantly when he left to tend to Sonata. I sighed, snuggling deeper into the covers. I was suddenly struck by a strange thought.

"It's over," I whispered to myself.

"What is?" Kurama muttered when he came back. He pulled the covers back over himself, and I turned to face him.

"Everything. It just feels like all my worries are over."

Kurama raised one of his eyebrows in amusement. "How can you say that? We just had a baby. This is when the worrying all begins."

I smacked him playfully on the chest. "No, that's not what I meant. I don't know…It's strange. But nice."

Kurama pulled me into a hug, cuddling me close. "I'm glad. As long as you're happy, right?"

I laughed, preparing to go back to sleep. Uh-oh. Another thought. "Uh, Kurama?"

"Yeah?"

"What are we going to do about her schooling?"

* * *

Yay! It's over. Well, that's not really a 'yay' situation with me, but it might be with you. Whatever floats your boat. Anyways, I left a lot of loose ends in this story, which will be tied up in the next and probably last segment of this series, Mouse Speak!

Thanks for all the continued support from everyone! Much love!  
Lark


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